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192 Fla., and the municipal ferryboat S. W. SMITH. *k * * Four big American sailing vessels, the five-masted schooner DorotHy B. BaAr- RETT, coal laden for Buenos Aires, the five-masted schooner Marcus S. URANN, coal laden for Havana, the schooner New Ye Yj G THE MARINE REVIEW am P. Hoop and the bark JoHN Os coal laden for Pernambuco, are held in Norfolk on account of not being able to get sufficient seamen to fulfill the requirements of the La Fol- lette seaman’s act. The masters of the vessels have applied to the department of commerce for relief. irbor By Wilbur Martin AST year was the first during the 10 years the New York municipal ferries have been in operation that the results showed a surplus of revenues over expenditures, according to a recent report of Commissioner of Docks and Ferries Smith to Mayor Mitchel. An operating surplus of $135,334 was recorded by the boats running from Manhattan to St. George, Staten Island, and to Thirty-ninth street, Brooklyn, despite a net decrease in the gross earnings of $23,000. Gross receipts of the St. George ferry were $846,615, against $854,866 in 1914, and operating expenses $693,893, com- pared with $839,263. On the Thirty- ninth street line the gross receipts were $207,514, against $222,201 and operating expenses $224,901, compared with $369,938. No account was taken of interest on investment or deprecia- tion of property which would be charged against earnings by a private corporation. Had these items been taken into consideration and a fair sum charged, the deficit in 1915 would have been $480,000, compared with $747,550 in 1914. * k The Lehigh Valley railroad has notified the interstate commerce com- mission that its new freight station, to be know as Hudson river pier 8, at the foot of Rector street, is ready for business. The new pier, erected at a cost exceeding $1,000,000, is the latest word in modern pier construc- tion. It is 730 feet long by 75 feet wide, with water rights on both sides. The structure is absolutely fireproof throughout. x * Simpson, Spence & Young, New York steamship agents, have removed from the offices which they have oc- cupied for 18 years on the fourth floor of the Bowling Green building, 11 Broadway, to the eighth floor of the same building. Their new offices em- brace one-half of the entire floor on the river side. The suite includes a captain’s room, as well as a special room for guests. * * 2K The steamer GuiIsEprr1 VerpI, of the Transatlantica Italiana, recently sailed from Genoa and Palermo for New York carrying the largest number of passengers to leave Italy in some time. There were 239 cabin passengers and 1,230 in the steerage. * * x The Brazilian steamer TROPEIRO ar- rived in New York recently from Gloucester, Mass., one of her ports of call to go into dry dock. She has recently been purchased by a British companv and will be refitted and re- named Epirn Cavett. Another British steamer named EpitH CAvELL, formerly Wacner, left Cadiz recently for New York. Ye ata Captain Jacob Reichert, president of the Reichert Towing Line, New York, advocates the collection by towing companies from the city of an amount equivalent to the time lost by tugs in trying to find a hydrant that is in ACING a dilemma in not obtaining sailors as a consequence of the stringent provisions of the new sea- man’s law, which prevents advances be- ing paid to sailors on foreign as well as American vessels, also allotments of any kind save for the benefit of rela- tives, thereby eliminating the customary source of revenue for those supplying sailors, the Portland chamber of com- merce has appealed to Secretary Red- field, of the department of commerce, for temporary relief from the law. *k oe x The J. A, MeEachren Co., Ltd.,. gen- eral contractor of Seattle has purchased 1200 feet of waterfront on Youngs river near Astoria, Ore., and will im- mediately begin the construction and equipment of a ship building yard. ee ee Capt. E. L. McNoble resigned as superintendent of the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., effective May 1. Capt. McNoble has been engaged in’ the steamship business 26 years. ee ee The steamer Curacao, which was wrecked off the west coast of Prince of Wales Island in 1913, has been repaired in Seattle and will shortly re-enter the Southeastern Alaska trade. Curacao lay in 78 feet of water for more than a year as a hopeless wreck. She was abandoned by the Pacific Coast Steam- ship Co., to the underwriters who sold her to the Alaska Wrecking & Salvage Co., headed by Capt. Harry W. Crosby and associates. This company performed a remarkable salvage feat in raising the vessel and sold- her back to her former owners, who have now fitted her up for service. under the command of Capt: Frank Landstrom. ha ok The American ° barkentine Jane L, STANFORD was libeled for $20,000 in the federal court at Tacoma by the Puget Sound Tug Boat Co. ‘The complaint sets forth that on Jan. 9, while Sran- FORD was being towed to Port Town- send in ballast by the tug Prosper she working order. Frequently sey hours are lost in the process of taining a supply of water, because hydrants are not operating prope Ordinarily this would not mean much, but with time value at abo $10 an hour, the loss is considerab] Railroad embargoes are more stri gent, if anything, now than for 5 time past, according to Theodore ] York terminals. The lighterage ; terests are considerably hampered these regulations. x ** Thomas J. Howard, New York, has placed his new wreck- ing steamer, MicHAEL Howarb, in con mission. This makes three vesse of this character now operated in this work by Mr. Howard. i Haskell was struck by a gale in the Straits of Juan de Fuca. It is alleged that the master of the barkentine refused to cast his hawser and the vessel was driven high on the Port Angeles spit. Negli- gence is charged and upon this ground as well as for assistance rendered, dam- ages are asked. a ee Alfred Holt & Co., Liverpool, have ~ presented a beautiful silver loving cup to the officers of the United States life- saving tug SNoHoMISH in appreciation of the aid extended to the Blue Funnel liner CatcHas, when she was ashore at — Point Wilson last October. * *K * In spite of the unusual charter in- ducements and fabulous prices offered for vessels of the Puget Sound-Alaska fleet, the new Alaska season will open with the greatest fleet of merchant ves- sels in the history of the trade on hand to care for the spring and summer trade. The present season will see a tremendous business between the Sound and Alaska ports, for activities in the north will be greater than ever before. The northern canneries have increased in number and will require a greater amount of freight, while the new gov- ernment railroad work at Anchorage means an immense amount of tonnage to that port. * *k x Desperate from the acute shortage of ships, Portland grain interests have thrown aside every bit of respect that should be shown a _ historical antiquity, — and have made a sensational and irre- verent attempt to charter the 126-yeat- old British convict ship Success, 0 carry a cargo of wheat from the Co- lumbia river to Australia. The Port land interests offered a rate of shillings a ton. Success has a cargo” capacity of 1,100 tons. She could make the voyage from the Columbia river to Australia in four or five months. At the rate of 105 shillings a ton, SUCCESS would earn a gross amount of ; on her cargo, less an expense of $7,000.